Police in Nakuru County have arrested five suspects in connection to the murder of Molo-based activist Richard Otieno, popularly known as ‘Molo president’.
Otieno, known for being a critic of the government and local leaders, was hacked to death on January 18, 2025 near the gate of his residential apartment, some 200 meters from Elburgon Police Station.
His murder sparked protests in Elburgon Town, forcing police to move his body to Kericho where an autopsy was conducted.
Confirming the arrests, Nakuru County Police Commander Michael Mwangi says that local police, in conjunction with detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation’s Homicide and those from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), believe the five suspects are behind the murder of the activist.
“The five suspects are set to be arraigned in court on Monday (February 3, 2025) for miscellaneous application,” Mwangi says.
Among those arrested are two bodaboda riders who police believe ferried the killers to and from the murder scene, and one who is alleged to have been among three who participated in the murder.
According to detectives, the three aforementioned suspects were placed at the scene of murder forensically.
The other two suspects, police say, had assaulted the deceased earlier on November 8, 2024, and had been sentenced to serve a one-year probation. The two, detectives say, were placed at the scene forensically.
According to an autopsy conducted at Kericho hospital mortuary, the activists died from severe head injuries caused by sharp object, likely a panga or axe.
Government pathologist Johansen Oduor said that the body had multiple slash wounds to the back and frontal areas of the skull, causing a fractured skull, and extensive brain bleeding.
